Update: Helena-West Helena Releases Shelter Dogs Into National Forest

The mayor took what some say are drastic measures to solve the stray problem in his town. Wednesday, he ordered nearly a dozen dogs from the city shelter released into the St. Francis National Forest.

Mayor James Valley says they'd be better off there than in the rundown shelter. But his actions are causing a firestorm of controversy.

"How long can these animals survive in the wild?" said Donna Pierce. "It's sad."

They're questions and feelings shared by many who spent Thursday in the St. Francis National Forest, searching for the strays set free Wednesday by the city of Helena-West Helena.

"They didn't deserve this," said Samantha Scott.

Scott spent the afternoon trying to feed a stray she found along the banks of Storm Creek Lake in the Forest. "I've tried to feed him some bread and gave him some water," she said. "But he acts real skittish, like he's scared to come to me."

Mayor Valley calls the freedom of the national forest for these animals a better alternative than the cage and tin of dirty water tucked away in the corner of the city's sanitation and street dept.

He says as many as 13 dogs ended up being housed in the small cage after many in the community cried foul over a second facility housing the dogs outside the city.

"We've rocked on for five months having people come forward saying they will help." Mayor Valley said.

One of those people is Gloria Higginbotham, who agreed to meet with the mayor Wednesday to get the animals proper medical treatment.

"He agreed to do this, and when we showed to check on these animals, not two hours later, they had been released," she said. "So that really sickened us because that's not what we're about."

But Mayor Valley says he had no other choice other to set the animals free. "We're caught in a Catch 22," he said. "If we continued to do what we were doing, we'd be bad. If we let them go, we're wrong for that as well. But the storyline would have read, if I had euthanized them, 'Mayor Kills All of the Dogs in the City.'"

Mayor Valley says the city will suspend all dog catching operations for the time being.

Gloria Higginbotham hopes his decision will spur others like her to action to see that the city gets a proper facility to house strays in the future.

Today's THV contacted the U.S. Forest Service, and spokesperson Tracy Farley said public welfare and the dogs' safety are their primary concern in this case.

She says the Service does not condone the unauthorized release of any animals into the forest and adds that the Forest Service Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation. Farley says they'll proceed when it is complete.

If you would like to help these dogs, you can check out the Humane Society of the Delta website or call (870)589-3396.